The present invention relates generally to machinery for the automatic making of moulds for the casting of metals or the like. The structures as disclosed in this application provide both an improvement over the art as shown in Hunter U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,738 for Automatic Matchplate Moulding Machine, and in addition thereto apparatus adapted both to cope and drag moulding and stack moulding both with and without core setting.
In all embodiments of the invention mould portions are formed in mould frames mounted on a turret which goes through angular displacements to place the mould portions one atop another to form a finished slip mould ready for the pouring operation, the poured moulds being removed from the machine after a suitable cooling interval.
In one embodiment of the invention the mould portions are formed on their upper and lower surfaces with half cavities, so that when the mould portions are stacked one atop another two mould portions define a complete cavity. In the forming of such slip moulds the turret moves a mould frame to a loading position where it is filled and squeezed to form a mould portion, subsequently moved with its frame to a second position where cores may be set in the upper half cavity, then moving the cored mould portion to a final position where the mould portion is delivered for the subsequent placement thereon of a like mould portion. Ultimately a stack of such finished moulds complete with cores is then ready for pouring. Moulds may be poured singly, or in multiples by the use of stop-off cores and interconnecting sprues.
By adapting the invention structure the step of core setting is dispensed with, and the turret for the mould frame cooperates with a pair of sand loading devices, each forming a mould portion thereat, the turret oscillating back and forth to deposit mould portions one atop another at delivery positions each disposed between the two sand loading devices.
The invention structure may also be modified so that a cope mould is formed at one sand filling and compaction station with a half pattern, forming a cavity in the lower surface of the cope mould, and a drag mould at the other sand filling and compacting station with a mating half pattern forming a cavity in the upper surface of the drag mould. The turret oscillates to deposit a cope mould on a drag mould at delivery positions, each disposed between the sand filling and compacting stations.
Where the machine is adapted for use in stack moulding without core setting or for use in cope and drag moulding, the production rate can be anticipated to be twice that with stack moulding and core setting.
Moreover, the apparatus lends itself to a multiplicity of sand filling and compacting stations for situations where core setting may be employed or not employed, or for cope and drag moulding both with and without cores.
The invention also comprehends the formation of unique moulds which are disposed one atop another, two moulds defining a pouring channel connected to a runner and mould cavity. Such runners may be connected by vertical sprues and when employed with stop off cores, one pouring channel only may be employed for pouring a number of castings at one time from a single pouring channel.